The West Yorkshire Combined Authority is inviting Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) organisations to take part in consultation on a new Region of Learning and Creativity strategy.
The strategy builds on the title and ambition set out in the Mayor of West Yorkshire’s 2024 manifesto and will set out how learning, skills and creativity will play a central role in delivering the region’s Local Growth Plan. It recognises that skills development is not isolated, but closely connected to wider issues such as employment, culture, health and wellbeing, and community participation.
This is related to the post WYCA published around the third priority in their growth plan. Click here to find out more.
Partnership working will sit at the heart of the strategy. The Combined Authority is particularly keen to understand how skills provision can work more effectively alongside VCSE organisations and local partners to better meet the needs of people and communities across West Yorkshire.
While there is much to celebrate about learning, skills and creativity across the region, the strategy will also acknowledge that not everyone currently benefits equally from these opportunities. Through further devolution, the ambition is to build on existing strengths and partnerships to ensure that all communities can be part of a true Region of Learning and Creativity.
Invitation to VCSE organisations
The Combined Authority is keen to hear from VCSE organisations working with people across West Yorkshire, including those supporting communities who may be under-represented in learning, skills and creative opportunities. Your insight will help shape the direction of the strategy and ensure it reflects real experiences and priorities on the ground.
An open engagement session will be held online for Leeds-based VCSE organisations:
Date: Wednesday 4 February
Time: 11:00am – 12:00pm
Location: Microsoft Teams
If you would like to attend, or if you are unable to make this session but would welcome another opportunity to feed in, please contact:
📧 [email protected]
What happens next
Although the formal consultation window will conclude shortly, the Combined Authority has made clear that engagement will continue. The strategy is expected to launch in the summer, alongside wider policy announcements and stories from communities across the region.
VCSE organisations are encouraged to contribute not only to this consultation phase, but to the ongoing development and delivery of the strategy as it evolves.
This is an opportunity for the VCSE sector to help shape how learning, skills and creativity support inclusive growth and opportunity across West Yorkshire.
This consultation is still in a soft, targeted engagement phase rather than a broad public campaign, which means early input from VCSE organisations can play an important role in shaping the direction of the strategy before it moves onto the next stage.
